Tag Archives: Persian Gulf Countries

Saudis React to Economic Squeeze

Saudi Arabia and the UAE introduced the five percent Value Added Tax (VAT) in January of 2018, a first for the Persian Gulf region which had long prided itself on its tax-free, cradle-to-grave welfare system. On the same day, Saudi Arabia announced a petrol price hike of 127 percent.

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Gulf Oil Producers Brace for Budget Deficits

States in the Persian Gulf region understandably are ramping up spending in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic. But their income also is in sharp decline as oil prices test lows. They must thus decide how to cover newfound deficits as oil trades in the US$20-$35-per-barrel range, and natural gas …

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